Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-01-06
ABUSING WASHINGTON.
some of the scandatous Charges Made
Against the Father OF ms Country.

Some of the Scandatous Charges Made
Against the Father OF ms Country.
Gen. Washington was probably rs
much abused as any president who las
ever acted as the chief executive of the
United States. AT one time he said that
he had been abused worse than com
mon pickpocket, and he was charged
with all sorts of crimes during his adj
ministration, says the Cleveland Lcader
The Philadelphia aurora was, perhaps,
the most bitter. When Washington left
the presidency it had a jubilant article
over the close of mis- term, in which il
said:
"lt ever there was a period of reioic-
ing this is the moment Every heart in
nnlslon with the freedom and happiness
OF the people ought 10 beat nigh with
eXutation that the name of Washing
ton this day ceased to give a currency
to political lniquity and to legalized
corruption. A new era is now open
ing upon uS-an era which promises
much to the people; for public meas
ures must now stand upon their own
merits, and nefarious projects can no
longer be supported by name. 1t is
a subject of the greatest establishment
that Il single individual should have
carried his designs against the public
liberty so far rs TO have put in jeopardy
its very existence. Such, however, are
the facts. and with these stariug Us in
the face, this day ought 10 he Jubilee
in the United States"
John Randolph of Roanoke at din
ner once proposed the toast: George
Washington; may he be id This,
however was too strong for the COM
pany. who were enemies of Washing
ton, and he had to add the proviso,
If he signs jays treaty" before they
would drink to it.
In 1895 "a Calm Observer in the New
York Journal accused Washington Of
being 4 thief He stated that he had
overdrawn his accounts and that he
owed the treasury $1,037 Another
writer accused Washington of hypo-
crisy and declared that he wanted to be
king. A third criticised his carriage
and his arislocracy, and, in fact, all the
opposition newspapers denounced him
in uumeasured terms. Congress went
against him during his second term and
refused to celebrate his birthday,
though they had been accustomed to do
so, and when he refused TO return for n
third term they charged that he did so
because he feared that he could not be
elected
1t will be surprising to the people to-
day to know that Washington was
once charged with murder 1t was dur
ing one OF his presidential campaigns.
The Philadelphia Aurora made the
charge. 1t stated that Washington had
during one of the battles of his carly
life, shot an officer who was bearing Il
flag of truce, and that in the papers re-
lating to the affair he had acknow-
lodged the act of assassination. Peter
Porcupne takes up the charge in his
letters and proves it 10 be false. The
fact, however stands that the charge
was made.
Speaking of Washington, | see that
some of the goody-good newspapers OF
the country are very indignant at the
statement in Quackenbo's history that
Washington at one time ate peas with
n knife. do not doubt but the state
ment is true. The whole literary United
States at the time of Washington. how.
ever seemed TO be n mutual admira-
ton society, and there is little unfayor-
able gossip about the white house dim
ners. | found the otner day, however,
Maclays Diary, giving his experiences
during his term as senator of the United
States when Washington was first prcsi.
dent. Maclay dined with Washington
Il number of times, and scattered
through his diary are little bits of gos.
sip about these dinners. At two of them
be describes Washington as amusing
himself during all the dinner by play
ing the devils tattoo upon the table
with his fork. He says, speaking OF one
of these dinners: ''Thc president kept Il
fork in hand when the cloth was taken
away, | thought for the purpose Of pick
ing nuts. He ate no nuts, but PLAYED
with the fork, striking on the edge Of
the table with it.